Shimla Spice Shipley could be winner in T&A competition

Shimla Spice, on Otley Road in Shipley, is one of 10 finalists in the T&A Best Curry House 2024 competition. 

The business has been serving curry lovers across the district for more than 25 years.

"It is not always about good food and good service, we teach our front-of-house staff to treat customers like they are family," Faisal Hussain, of Shimla Spice, said.

"If someone comes to your house in our culture, they get treated like royalty. We bring that same royalty experience to our restaurant.

"We are always developing and bringing new recipes out. We are trying to stay ahead of the game."

Inside the restaurant (Image: Newsquest) The business was founded by three brothers – Basharat Hussain, Mohammed Ayub, and Mahmood Akhtar - in Keighley back in 1998.

Faisal was keen to talk about how crucial his father Basharat and two uncles have been.

"It was a small little restaurant, 60-seater," he said.

"My dad and his brothers have always been fascinated about food.

"When they were 16-17 and left school, they went straight to London to work. They would stay there for three months at a time.

"They always had that vision to open a restaurant in their hometown.

The Shipley branch opened in 2006 (Image: Newsquest) "It was really busy from day one. We had a lot of customers coming from out of town.

"Then we picked the Shipley location because it is central to Bradford, Leeds, Ilkley, and Bingley."

Shimla Spice has been serving curry lovers across the district for over 25 years (Image: Newsquest) That was in 2006 and the branch has been growing ever since.

Shimla Spice has picked up more than 30 national and regional awards and was the only restaurant to be on the Curry Capital of Britain winning team for six consecutive years.

Today, the restaurant is run by the second generation of the family.

"Everything we do is in-house," Faisal added.

"Whatever we do, one person from the family is allocated to do the job. They do that job to the best of their ability."

It is one of 10 restaurants up for the award (Image: Newsquest) And their stand-out dish?

"Our desi chicken Karahi.

"It is a traditional Pakistani Asian-style dish. It can be cooked mild, medium, or hot.

"Whoever has it, they love it."

Readers will be able to vote for the overall winner through a coupon in the Telegraph & Argus. 

This began on October 28 and will run until November 9.